Dr. Jean Mayer and the White House Conference

Today, a staggering number of Americans struggle to put food on the table. The Hunger Museum is a unique and powerful exploration of how we got here and how we can end hunger.
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The Hunger Museum Tour We Can Solve Hunger — The Proof is in Our History

Nixon Works to End Hunger

In 1969, President Nixon went so far as to publicly promise to “end hunger in America,” and convened a White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health to create a plan to do so. In this picture, President Nixon (right) is pictured with Dr. Jean Mayer (left), who led the conference. The conference generated over 1000 recommendations, more than 70% of which Nixon’s administration acted on.

Where is it located in the Museum?

Food Stamps and the Advocates Who Secured Them

“Jean Mayer and Richard Nixon.” 1969. Tufts University.

In 1969, President Richard Nixon publicly promised “to end hunger in America,” appointing nutrition scientist Dr. Jean Mayer to convene a White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health. The conference resulted in a dramatic transformation of the social safety net, expanding funding for the Food Stamp Program. It also led to important reforms by Congress, stripping state and local officials of their powers to set and enforce eligibility standards, lowering the amount of cash required to buy food stamps, allowing for free food stamps to particularly vulnerable households, and extending the program to Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

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